Page 120 of Speak No Claim

My mind was spinning. “That’s so silly. If they loved each other, they should’ve been able to be together. My father was a legacy family. Why couldn’t she just marry into that instead?”

“I opposed,” Mr. Devereaux chimed in. “I was so young… so full of myself… I didn’t want the shame of another man winning the love of my life. I couldn’t allow her to humiliate me like that, choosing to marry another man over me. My dignity couldn’t stand for it.” He shook his head in disappointment. “I wouldn’t have survived the embarrassment. Everyone knew she was promised to me.”

“Wow,” I rasped. “So your ego won out over their lives?”

He locked eyes with me. “Yes, it did, and I’ve lived with the regret. I thought I could look the other way. As long as she didn’t leave me, I’d let her live a double life until I found out Deja wasn’t mine… then I turned into a man out for vengeance, and the council does love their blood.”

There was no denying it. “You had them killed.”

He didn’t reply, but he didn’t have to. The truth was written clear across his face in bright, bold lettering.

“I’m sorry, Hennessy. That’s all I can offer you now. But please know, I’m in debt to you for saving my life, and I know there’ll come a time when you collect. I look forward to it.”

I thought about what he offered. What could I possibly need from this man? He’d taken my father from me. I wanted to hate him, and I’d be lying if I said, had I known this prior to pledging my oath to the Brotherhood, I still would’ve sacrificed myself for him, but what was done was done.

There was no use in crying over spilled blood now.

The doctor had wrapped my hand, and I squeezed it tight, trying to be strong and not hold grudges or seek revenge. It was what started all of this to begin with. I refused to be like them. I wouldn’t let them change who I was.

I did what felt right. “I forgive you.”

He slightly nodded. “I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”

With that, he gestured to Onyx to follow him out on the balcony. Once Onyx shut the double glass doors behind him, my uncle handed me his cell phone.

At first, I was confused. Glancing at the screen, I saw my mother’s name.

Feeling wary, I greeted, “Hola, Mamá.”

She replied, “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

“How could you keep this from me?”

“I was scared. We all were. Please don’t be mad at your tío. He was trying his best to keep his distance from you. It’s why he’s been so absent and cold to you. He was trying to keep you away from him.”

“This would be the way of things until I graduated, had I not known the truth? Does the town know? Everyone at Graves treats me like I’m a leper.”

“Hennessy, you know more than anyone knows about legends and myths and the power of whispers through generations.”

“This is a mess.”

“It won’t be anymore.”

“How can you say that? Look what I’ve had to do⁠—”

“You’re still a woman in a man’s society. They’re not going to treat you as such. They want your secrecy, not your future. It’ll open a lot of doors for you.”

“I don’t want any of them.”

“That’s your choice to make, and I couldn’t continue to make it for you. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“I need you to know something.”

“More secrets?”

“Last one.”